For Wednesday:
Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Nos. 2-19
NOTE: Don’t read the poems
like our previous works; they are not a narrative per se, though there is a
rough story connecting them together (which critics violently disagree
on). Try to read the poems one at a
time, and try to re-read them a few times.
You don’t have to read every poem
in this sequence, but I would try to read them all and then go back and read a
few carefully. The Sonnets yield their treasures slowly and not in one
sitting. Don’t be discouraged if you
don’t “get it” after a first or second read.
Answer TWO of the
following...
1. Which poem in this
sequence do you feel is the most persuasive in urging the young man to
“breed”? How does the poet make his
argument, and what images/metaphors make it seem compelling to you?
2. All of these poems, to
some extent, are about the conflict between Time/Death and
Immortality/Beauty. Why might this be a
subject of particular interest in the Renaissance? Which poem or poems do you feel illustrates
the conflict particularly well—and why?
3. A few of the poems are
explicitly about writing poems and the role of poetry in the art of love. How does Shakespeare use poetry itself as a
way to make his argument and/or urge the young man to ‘procreate’? ‘’
4. Where in one or more of
these sonnets do we get the sense that the poet’s interest in the young man is
more than platonic? Where might love
play a role in the argument—and why? Be
specific and cite a line or two that might support your reading.
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